Jelanie
by LeftHandedPeopleRule
Summary: Previously known as 'A Series of Melanie and Jared'. A collection of random one-shots concerning Jared and Melanie. Some stories are individual of themselves, some are related to others. Some are AU, some are canon. Will be updated as and when a new one-shot is written. Rated T as a precaution.
1. Meeting The Howes

**Since I can't currently commit to writing an actual story for 'The Host' I've decided to create a fanfic that consists of Jelanie one-shots that have been lying around on my computer for a while now.**

**There's no pattern to these one-shots. They vary from AU to canon, before, after and even during 'The Host'. Some one-shots are possible ideas for a story, some are linked, and others just standalone as they are. Basically this is a collection of all the possible scenarios that I imagine Jared and Melanie to be in.**

**If you have any ideas, thoughts or opinions on any particular one-shot I'd love to hear them, or if you think that I should turn any of these into a fanfic of its own then let me know.**

**Disclaimer: 'The Host' and all of its characters are the work of Stephanie Meyer. I'm just a fan of the book with one over-active imagination.**

* * *

Melanie Stryder nervously rubs her hands together as she sits in the passenger seat of a jeep, staring at the little one-story house in front of her through the haze of a grimy window.

Her stomach is tying itself in knots, the palms of her hands are all clammy and warm and she's slightly annoyed at herself for behaving this way. Of being so on-edge. She wasn't this anxious when she had to meet her ex-boyfriends' families after all. But then again this isn't just anyone's family.

"I don't think I can do this Jared." She whispers, her gaze now focusing on the sandy-haired man sitting in the driver's seat beside her.

"Of course you can Mel." Jared says as he twists himself around to face her. "I wouldn't have brought you here otherwise."

Melanie shifts uncomfortably under the intense scrutiny of his gaze and ducks away in embarrassment. A corner of his lips tugs up into a smile.

"Come on Melanie." Jared pleads. "If something's wrong then tell me what's going on inside that pretty little head of yours."

A small, shy smile briefly flashes across Melanie's face as she sees Jared smiling at her encouragingly, his sienna coloured eyes begging her to tell him what's wrong.

"Well, what if they don't like me?" She asks, curling her legs up to her chest. Her arms wrapping around them simultaneously.

Jared frowns. "Why wouldn't they?"

"I don't think they'll approve of me." She answers somewhat timidly. "I mean, what if they think I'm too young for you? They'll see me as some pathetic, naïve little kid who-"

"Mel, Melanie stop." Jared instructs while taking hold of both her hands in his. "You've nothing to worry about. There's no need to sell yourself short. If anyone should be worried about anything it's me."

The dark-haired teen raises an eyebrow incredulously.

"I mean, let's face it. I'm the one whose looking down at the wrong end of a shotgun here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well if anyone's gonna look bad in this relationship it's me. You'll be the poor, innocent teenage girl that got charmed into loving me. The twenty-six year old pervert."

Melanie opens her mouth to object but Jared continues. "I'm serious. What would your father do to me if he knew the truth about us?"

"Nothing actually." Melanie retorts. "In fact he'd probably be ok with it. My mom however…I can't even begin to describe how worried you should be if she ever found out what's going on between us."

Jared grins mischievously. "I'd bet she'd skin me alive and serve me up as stew if she knew how much I love you."

Melanie scrambles across the front of the car and sits sideways on his lap. She rests her head on his shoulder and hugs his chest. "I'd hate her forever if she did."

Jared tucks her head under his chin and wraps his arms around her tightly. "No you wouldn't. She's your family. If your mother does anything to me it'll be only be to protect you."

"But I don't need protecting." Melanie argues. "You already do enough of that already."

"I know. But maybe things would be easier if I was some college frat-boy instead."

Melanie wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Ugh. Don't ever say that again. You're worth ten times more than what any of them could ever be."

Jared laughs. "Yeah. I really couldn't imagine you going out with one of them. You'd eat them alive."

"Well I do look older than 18." Melanie reasons. "Do you think I could pass as being twenty? Maybe it would make introducing me easier for you."

"Nah. I've already told them your age anyway."

"And?"

"And my dad didn't even bat an eyelid. I'll admit my brothers are slightly concerned about the age gap and Ethan won't stop teasing me about you being my jailbait, but other than that they're just happy that I'm happy. Although they do hope that I'm not stupid enough to do anything that will get me into trouble."

"Not that you ever let us do anything in the first place." Melanie grumbles.

"Exactly." Jared grins. "Anyway, you're gonna find out exactly what my family think about us for yourself in a minute."

Melanie lifts her head. "Huh?"

"It's time." He states, tapping his watch which indicates that it's almost three o'clock in the afternoon.

Melanie's face turns pale and something about her horrified expression reminds Jared of a startled deer in the face of headlights.

"Can't we just here for a few more minutes? I'm not ready to go in just yet."

He chuckles, kissing her temple. "I promised we'd be here for three and I never break a promise willingly."

Melanie groans in frustration, swinging her legs around reluctantly to jump out of the jeep and onto the Howes' drive.

Jared follows her, chuckling, and she shoots him a glare as they make their way towards the front of Jared's house where his father and three elder brothers are already waiting for their arrival.


	2. Pregnant Melanie: Part 1

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own 'The Host' or any of its characters.**

* * *

"Mel? Melanie?" Jared's voice echoes softly in my ears. "Come on Mel, time to wake up."

It's so typical of Jared to fret about me, although I shouldn't really blame him given the circumstances. After all, I have been bedridden for the majority of last week. Plus it's actually kind of heart-warming to know that my ill-health concerns him greatly. Little does he know that his anxiety is for all the wrong reasons.

He's under the misconception that I'm ill with some kind of flu virus when in actuality I'm experiencing something entirely different, and if I'm perfectly honest I'm still unsure about the whole situation myself.

So far only Jeb, Doc and Wanda know about my predicament and I have no intention of telling Jared just yet despite what the others say. I mean could I really bring a child into this world? A world that is no longer safe for humanity? Neither I nor Jared thought that it would be right to do so. Only now we might have to do precisely that and I'm absolutely terrified.

"Mel? Baby? Please wake up. I need you." Jared pleads desperately.

"Ugh." I groan in annoyance, pulling a pillow over my head. Surely he couldn't begrudge me a few more minutes sleep? I don't want to come back to reality, not now anyway; I'd rather hide in the safety of my dreams where I can at least try to hide from my problems.

"That's right baby, wake up. I'm right here." Jared takes one of my hands in both of his. It's good to have him back within the safety of the caves again, to feel the fire that burns between us. His warm breath tickles my face and I know that if I open my eyes right now, his lips will be no more than an inch away from mine. However, it was this very same fire that got us into this mess in the first place.

"Mel? I know you're awake. You can drop the act now." He says teasingly but I can hear the underlying concern in his voice. He gently plants a kiss on my forehead and my eyes flutter open instinctively.

As always Jared is by my side. He squeezes my hand lightly and presses his lips to my head once again. I realise that I'm still in the confines of our room and I move to sit up but Jared pushes me back against the mattress with a gentle shove of his hand. He's still leaning over me and I take the opportunity to scan over his face, which is still filthy from his most recent raid.

"You could really do with a bath." I murmur, reaching up with my right hand to brush some of the dust off his cheek.

"I haven't had the chance." He smiles, although his body remains tight. I can see through his mask though; see the worry lingering in the depths of his beautiful sienna eyes. He stares at me for another minute and frowns.

"Melanie, Doc says that you have something important to discuss with me."

I stare at my hands and remain quiet.

"Baby, is there something I should know about? Doc sounded pretty serious earlier."

My eyes flicker up and meet Jared's burning gaze and my heart drops into my stomach.

How could Doc force this on me? It took nearly everything I had just to tell Wanda about my pregnancy and I'm nowhere near capable of telling Jared yet. Not until I get over the initial shock myself first.

I decide again not to answer him; instead I focus on the green shade that blocks the corridor and contemplate making a run for it. I am faster than Jared after all, but I'm not too sure about where I could hide.

Jared grows impatient and takes hold my chin so that I have no choice but to look at him. "Mel, if you don't tell me what's going on right now, I'll go and tell Jamie that you're hiding something from us." He warns. "You wouldn't wanna worry him would you?"

My eyes narrow into slits. Why? Why did he insist on chewing that bone?

"There's nothing to say." I spit. He knows I'm lying. "You wouldn't." But he and I both know that he would — Jared has no limits when Jamie and I are involved. I would know. It's why I'm glowering at him now.

Jared has found the chink in my armour knowing that I'd never unnecessarily scare my little brother, even if our lives were at stake. I'm actually surprised he would stoop this low. That he is so willing to upset Jamie in order to get me to confess.

My stomach churns uncomfortably at the thought and before I can even comprehend my actions I grab the tin bucket from the floor and vomit violently into it.

Jared rushes to my side instantly, holding my hair back from my face as I choke up the remainders of last night's supper.

"We should get Doc." He mutters worriedly as I regain control over my roiling bowels. "The sooner you're treated the better."

"It won't help." I reply hoarsely.

Jared frowns, his eyebrows creasing into one thick line. "What do mean 'It won't help'? The souls' medicines cure just about everything except for old age and mental disabilities."

"They can't cure me. I'm not ill." I answer curtly, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

Jared sighs, exasperated. "Don't start this again Melanie. You're practically puking your guts out, so don't even bother trying to convince me that you're not ill when you obviously are."

"You have no idea what I'm going through!" I snap, my hands curling into fists. "In fact it's your entire bloody fault that I'm like this in the first place!"

This dumbfounds him. "Melanie, what are you on about?"

I groan in frustration, my fingers pulling angrily at my hair. My vision is suddenly tainted red and I know that I'm overreacting because of my hormones but I can't help it.

"Mel, baby. What's wrong?" Jared asks insistently.

"I'm pregnant you pig-headed moron!" I cry frantically. "With your child!"

Jared blanches and tears spring to my eyes as I realise what I've just done. That I've made my worst fears come true. My body begins to tremble and before I know it, I'm sobbing. I hardly ever cry in front of Jared but today I break down completely.


	3. Pregnant Melanie: Part 2

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own the 'Host' or any of it's characters.**

* * *

"Melanie what are you on about?" I ask, shocked. I know she's been ill recently but I didn't even begin to think how serious this just might be. It's the only way of keeping a hold on my sanity.

Melanie keeps quiet and glances down at her hands. She's hiding something from me. I can tell. She wouldn't be like this otherwise.

"Mel, baby. I'm begging you. What's wrong?"

Melanie's blazing hazel eyes fix on me. "I'm pregnant you pig headed moron! With your child!" She screams hysterically. Her words are piercing; each one stabbing me in the chest with the force of a battering ram.

Both my mind and body go on lock down as the news slowly sinks in. Melanie can't be pregnant! We always took precautions and I...oh damn. There was one occasion a few months back when our needs and desires got the better of us.

It had been during a celebration for Wanda and Ian's engagement and whilst the rest of the caves were too enthralled in watching the happy couple dance, we crept back to our room, both of us drunk to high heaven, in order to satisfy our burning hunger for each other.

I think through all of the symptoms for Mel's illness, all of which are considered to be the early signs of pregnancy, have this sudden urge to smack my head against the cave wall as realisation dawns on me. The morning sickness, the change in appetite, the irregular sleeping patterns; the signs were all there.

How could I have been so ignorant? It was so blatantly obvious! How will this affect things in the caves? How will the others react? Will they accept the news with open arms? Or will some people try to persuade us to abort the pregnancy? The Souls do have a 'No Baby' spray to discontinue any unwanted pregnancy so long as it's taken within the first three months. The very thought of it sickens me.

In my peripheral vision, I can see that Melanie is no longer sobbing but is instead analysing me intensively, waiting for my reaction as I sift through the pros and cons just like I would for a raid. My gaze moves down to where her hand covers her abdomen protectively and I sigh.

Melanie will do everything in her power to protect that baby no matter what anybody else thinks. Including me. After all, I was the one so vehemently opposed to raising kids in this environment. But a whole variety of things have changed since then and now that we have finally have some stability in the caves thanks to Wanda. I can't help but think that maybe I was wrong.

Arrays of overwhelming emotions attack me as a warm sensation floods through my entire being. Shock, denial, anger, remorse, agony, despair and guilt are all replaced by hope, joy, belief, love and finally happiness.

I may have said in the past that I didn't want to bring a child into this world. But after everything that's happened, me losing her to the Souls, only for her to return to the caves with Wanda and for me to nearly lose her again, I realise that I want it more than anything. Melanie and I raising a child of our own, watching them grow up in the safety of the caves, running as fast as Melanie through all the passageways, playing soccer with their uncle Jamie after school. My heart swells at the thought.

Once again I look at Mel and feel my stomach drop. What kind of partner am I? She is facing probably the biggest ordeal that Mother Nature has to offer yet here I am watching her torment herself with worrying over how I will react.

Without even thinking I sit down beside her and pull her towards me, cradling her quivering body against my chest which causes even more tears to streak down the gentle curve of her cheeks.

Melanie seldom cries at all, let alone in front of me; she is usually so strong and determined and it hurts me to see her vulnerable like this.

"Shh." I whisper softly. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise."

Melanie tenses. "You aren't mad?" She sniffs.

I pull away slightly so I can look into her eyes. "Of course not." I breathe while wiping her tears away with my thumbs. "Mel, baby, there are no words that could even begin to describe how happy I am right now."

Her body relaxes visibly and she leans further into me. I tuck her head under my chin.

"But you said all those years ago that you didn't want any kids. That 'we couldn't possibly bring a child into this world." Melanie retorts, her voice low, gentle.

I grimace. "That was what I thought back before I lost you. You have no idea how elated I was when Wanda gave you your body back. It made me realize how wrong I was before. Things are different now: we are surrounded by friends and family with a shelter above our heads. And ever since we met the other units I can't help thinking that maybe I was wrong. What if there are more? In other countries, in different continents? Perhaps there is a chance for our kind after all. Maybe starting a family won't be such a bad thing for us. I've only just realised that it's what I want more than anything else. To have a child with you."

I tenderly place my hand on her abdomen and am surprised at the gentle swell of stomach. "You, this baby and Jamie are all that matters to me now." I murmur, pressing my lips against her forehead.


	4. What Matters Most

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own the 'Host' or any of it's characters.**

* * *

Tonight was a time for celebration down in the hollows of the caves. The ever-growing unit of rebels had just witnessed the first ever nuptials between a human being and a Soul, and now that the initial ceremony was over, everyone had descended into the games room which had been transformed into one great big party hall, complete with food, drinks and a games.

A cluster of people volunteered to provide music for the event, playing whatever songs they could recall from memory using a small variety of musical instruments which had been stolen specifically for the occasion. Peals of laughter reverberated around the room as people sang and danced, all fears of being captured momentarily forgotten as they soaked up the euphoria of the occasion. It was as if things were normal again; as if humanity wasn't on the brink of extinction.

From the side-lines, Jared Howe watched over the merry scene with a carefree smile. After all the stress and uncertainty of the past couple of months it was nice to see everyone loosen up and have some fun for once, even if it was only for one night.

Suddenly, the tempo of the music changed and a series of whoops and cheers erupted as Wanda and Ian were dragged into the centre of the games room for their customary first dance as husband and wife. Other couples also spilled onto the makeshift dance floor and Jared scanned the energetic crowd for Melanie, eager to share a dance with her since she'd been too busy overseeing the day's events to do so earlier.

Jared easily identified Jamie among the throng of partygoers, awkwardly swaying from to side to side with a blonde girl from Nate's clan, yet found no sign of the young boy's sister amid all the chaos. He glanced over the room again, and after coming up with nothing, turned to the nearest familiar face to him.

"Have you seen Mel anywhere?" He asked Trudy, who had furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head in response.

"No. But then again I've been cooped up in the kitchen most of the day preparing all the food," the elderly woman replied, "Maybe she's with Kyle. They did plan this whole shin-dig. I wouldn't worry though; she's probably just making sure that all her hard work is paying off."

Jared nodded his head in thanks and hastily began to search for the groom's older, and undoubtedly less pleasant, brother.

He was almost at the tunnels when he spotted him, standing by the neatly arranged buffet table with an arm wrapped around Sunny's waist, supping a can of beer as he observed the on-going celebration of his brother's wedding.

"Hey O'Shea!"

Kyle lifted his head at the sound of his name and raised an eyebrow incredulously as Jared manoeuvred his way through a horde of hyperactive kids in a bid to reach him.

"What do you want Howe." The usually brooding man asked more out of curiosity than annoyance.

Jared glanced around the games room again and licked his lips. "You've not seen Mel around have you?"

Kyle frowned into his drink. "Nah. Sorry man. She was me and Sunny up until about half an hour ago when she just rushed off in a hurry."

"Do you know where to?"

"She did mention that she needed to go find something of hers, if that's any help." Sunny chirruped from beside him with a shy smile.

"Thanks Sunny," Jared smiled before turning to Kyle once again,"I'll see you later?"

"Sure." Kyle replied before Jared scurried away from the dark-haired duo in the direction of the caverns.

Away from the spirited atmosphere of the party the tunnels were eerily silent, but that didn't intimidate Jared in the slightest as he navigated his way through the meandering passageways toward his and Melanie's room. It was the most logical choice since all of their personal belongings were there and if Melanie wasn't after something of hers then it would be something she'd hidden away from unwelcome eyes.

Jared was so certain of this as he stalked toward the jade green panel that concealed their room from the rest of the caverns. However, he was soon disappointed when he pulled the screen back only to find that Melanie wasn't there.

Jared frowned and waltzed over to the metal door of Wanda and Ian's room, thinking that Melanie might have been planning a little surprise for the newly-wed couple, yet she wasn't there either. He searched the kitchen, the lower storage rooms, Jamie's room; he even went down to Doc's, but there was still no sign of her to be found. He was practically verging on frantic when he came across Lily in the river room, who claimed she hadn't seen Melanie since she left the party over an hour ago.

Jared swore that he'd scoured every nook and cranny in the caves for Melanie, and when he didn't find her at the mouth of the caves' entrance, he was about to give up and head back to the party but then he heard it. A sweet and melancholy sound coming from outside.

Curious, he followed the sound, his hand reaching out to feel the rocky edges of the cave's mouth until he was out in the coolness of the Arizona desert.

It was then that he saw her sitting on a ledge just around the corner, gazing up at the billions of stars in the midnight sky with a wistful expression on her face, and humming what seemed to be a lullaby to herself.

"Mel?" Jared murmured softly. The brunette flinched at the sound her name, spinning around wildly and sighing in relief when she saw that it was only him.

"You scared me." She whispered as he sat down beside her.

Jared ignored this statement and stared at the vast darkness of the desert around them. The air was cool in comparison to the scorching heat of the day and the sound of insects filled his ears.

"What are you doing out here Mel? Inside is where the party's at."

Melanie shrugged, "It all got a bit too much for me. I just needed a breath of fresh air is all."

Jared frowned. He saw through her guise easily; he could read her like an open book whether she liked or not. "Mel-"

"I'm fine Jared, ok?" Melanie snapped abruptly, "I just needed some space away from all the noise and lights." A tear escaped from the corner of her eye and Jared sensing that Melanie was far from ok, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the security of his chest. Melanie protested at first, insisting, rather unsuccessfully, that she was fine as more tears spilled down the planes of her cheeks.

Meanwhile Jared rubbed soothing circles into her back. It was his way of telling her that it was ok to break and cry sometimes. She openly cried at the gesture, tears staining the fabric of his shirt, as she desperately clutched onto him as though her life depended on it.

"Sh. Sh. It's ok baby. You're ok. I'm here. Sh." Jared mumbled reassuringly into her ear like he would do to a child. "You're ok. It's ok."

"It's just today: the ceremony, the vows, how everyone sighed when Wanda and Ian said 'I do'. It made me realise that I'll, that we'll never be able to…"

"Never be able to what? Get married?"

"No," She sniffed, " That we'll never be able to have a proper traditional wedding."

Jared frowned. "Mel, you know none of that matters to me. You're you. That's enough for me."

"I know," Melanie sighed, "And it sounds superficial and pathetic, but when I was little I used to fantasise about what my wedding might have been like. I'd be wearing this long, flowing white dress and my mom would give me something old and blue to wear in my hair whilst my dad would hold out his arm for me, proud as ever, as he'd take me down the aisle…" She whispered, fresh tears pooling in her eyes as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"Oh Mel."

"I love you," She whimpered, "And after everything that's happened I know that all that really matters is that we're together. But today just really hammered it home for me; everything that we'll never have. That we'll never get to do."

Jared pulled away from her embrace and took hold of her chin. "I understand. All I want is to be able to provide you and Jamie with everything you deserve. But with things as they are the best I can do is to try and keep you safe."

Melanie stared up at him, her forlorn expression reminding him of just how young she still was despite her mentality, which up until this point had suggested otherwise.

"Sure, it'd be great if we could have this great big traditional wedding and live in a little house in the countryside where all our worries would just drift away, but its circumstances like this, like the invasion, that makes us see what's truly important in our lives." Jared continued, wiping Melanie's tears away with through skimming his thumbs across her face.

"I couldn't give a damn about any of the material crap; all that matters to me is that you're mine and I'm yours," Jared admitted, "As for our families, I'm sure that wherever they are right now, they'll be proud of us finding happiness together despite everything we've been through. And if we ever get the chance to live a somewhat normal life again I'd marry you in a heartbeat." Melanie smiled up at him with real joy in her eyes, and Jared wondered how he ever got so lucky.

"But no label fits what you are to me. A piece of paper and a ring isn't enough to symbolise my love for you. Just know that you mean everything to me Melanie. I wasn't kidding all those years ago when I said I'd choose you over six billion people. I know what it's like to lose you and I know deep down that you're what matters most to me."

"I must seem like the world's biggest idiot right now."

Jared smirked. "Not in the slightest. We all had things we took for granted Mel. Myself included."

Melanie blinked away the remaining tears and snuggled further into Jared's chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." He replied, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead as they gazed out at the desert together.


	5. Melanie Doesn't Wake Up

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own the 'Host' or any of it's characters.**

* * *

Streaks of daylight seep through the fissures of Doc's office ceiling, indicating the arrival of a new day.

Before now Jared had found some solace in watching the sun rise above the hazy horizon of the Arizona desert; it meant he had survived another night, that maybe, his days weren't as numbered as he had once thought. Today however, the ascending sun evokes a sense of dread within Jared as it signals that more time has passed since Wanda's extraction from Melanie's body, which in turn means that Melanie's chances of waking up are growing even slimmer.

Thinking of his lover, Jared shifts his back off of the cot and turns onto his side in order to face the adjacent camp bed.

Melanie still remains inert on the cool, rigid surface of the metal bedframe, her head resting on top of a small throw pillow while her feet lie limply at the end. Her dark hair fans out away from her head and her right arm dangles lifelessly off the edge of the bed.

Jared reaches out for her hand and holds it firmly in his, relishing in the warmth of her skin. She's lying so still that if it weren't for her calm, steady breaths and the colour in her cheeks, he would have assumed she was dead. He shudders at the thought. She can't die now. Not after everything they've been through over the past year. He can't, he won't allow it.

A loud snore suddenly breaks the stifling silence, causing Jared to flinch involuntarily. He glances up over Melanie's shoulder to see Doc slumping in a chair by his desk, with his head bowed down and his chin resting on his sternum.

The elder man had been awake almost as long as Jared has, only the fatigue eventually became too much for him and he succumbed to sleep in spite of his wish to maintain vigil over Melanie's deteriorating condition.

Jared frowns then returns his gaze back to Melanie, his eyes trailing over every inch of her sleeping figure in painstakingly thorough detail. He traces everything from the smooth silky tendrils that curl around the shell of her ear, to the dip of her collarbone and the barely visible freckles on her nose. Yet what he really wants to see, more than anything else, is her eyes. The entrancing blend of green and brown that holds so much intensity it leaves him breathless and those mesmerising depths that reveal Melanie's each and every thought like an open book. Oh, what he wouldn't give for her to open her eyes now and allow him to see the raw beauty of the spirit within!

Too engrossed in willing Melanie to rise up from the darkest recesses of her mind, Jared doesn't hear the resounding plods travelling through the tunnels of the caves. Nor does he acknowledge Jeb's arrival in the makeshift hospital; he's too enthralled in the still form of the woman beside him.

Meanwhile Jeb observes the fearful young man and the way in which he desperately clings onto his niece with a solemn expression. He fears that if Melanie doesn't stir soon, Jared will fall apart at the seams. _The poor kid really does love her more than life itself_, he thinks grimly as he ambles towards the corner of the room where Doc still sleeps soundly.

"Still nothin' new?" He asks, gently kicking Doc's foot in a bid to rouse him.

Doc instantaneously splutters to life at the sound of Jeb's gravelly voice and rubs the sleep from his eyes as they adjust to the growing daylight. When he finally gains control over his senses, he glances over at Jared and Melanie and sighs heavily.

Melanie should have recovered by now considering how conscience she was whilst Wanda was inside her, but maybe she isn't as strong as everyone had originally thought.

Doc's about to voice this concern to Jeb when Jared suddenly springs up into a sitting position, his eyes wide and feral.

"Don't," He warns, seemingly knowing what the surprised medic is about to say, "Don't you dare say it Doc."

Jared may have been out of it these past few days. But he isn't stupid. He knows that Melanie's been comatose for nearly four days now. That unless they reinsert Wanda, or some other Soul, her body will start to deteriorate and die. He already knows all of this, but that doesn't mean she's still not in there. That she's still not trying to find a way out.

"Jared," Doc pleads, "I know this is difficult for you but the likelihood that Melanie is still-"

"I don't want it to hear it," Jared snarls, "Melanie is still in there, and she's still fighting."

"But her body is malnourished and if we don't do something soon she may never recover."

"Reinsert Wanda then. Put her back, like you did with Sunny."

Jeb sighs wearily, "Jared, Wanda didn't want-"

"I'm sure Wanda didn't want Mel to die either!" Jared roars ferociously, "I own that body still Jeb. And I want Wanda back in."

"And what about Wanda?" Ian asks quizzically from the corner of the room, Wanda's cryotank secured firmly in his arms.

Jared hadn't even noticed Ian's presence until now; he'd been so busy watching over Melanie.

"You don't own her. And as Jeb was saying, she didn't want to be a parasite anymore. What if putting her back will make her miserable again?"

Jared sneers, "I think Wanda would be more upset that we didn't try to save someone who for all intents and purposes is her sister to her. You forget O'Shea that Wanda would have died if I hadn't had intervened. You owe me this. You want Wanda back just as much I want Mel to stay alive."

"I just don't want her to suffer again."

"None of us do." Jeb reaffirms.

"And you think she won't if don't save Mel? If we get her another body and let Mel, let Melanie disappear?" Jared asks through clenched teeth, "At least this way Wanda can help save her." He continues, "She's done it before."

"What do you mean?" Doc inquires.

Ian sighs heavily, "You remember when Wanda hid herself in the games room?" Jeb and Doc both nod, "Well when she went to see Jamie, after she was told he was sick, she discovered that Melanie wasn't there. She couldn't feel her presence. So she tried to bring her back by riling her up, by kissing me. Only it didn't work," He explains.

"So what did you do then?"

"He went and got me," Jared answers brusquely, "Wanda told me that I needed to kiss Melanie. That it was the only thing that caused Mel to break through Wanda's control. Needless to say it worked."

Doc furrows his brow as he lets this new information sink in, "I suppose Wanda could tell us why Melanie isn't waking up."

"Not only that, but maybe she could find Melanie again." Jared interjects; his voice is hopeful, frantic and desperate.

"Do it then." Jeb instructs Doc, after mulling over the idea. He turns, this time pointing to Jared, "And you make sure not to do anything too rash in the meantime. Can't have you worrying the kid too much."

Jared nods and returns his gaze to Melanie whilst silently praying that she still hasn't left him.


	6. Mollycoddled

**A lot of you keep asking for more pregnancy one-shots, so I decided to post this as a pre-Host movie treat. I saw one of the posters on the side of a bus this morning. Not long now folks!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own the 'Host' or any of it's characters.**

* * *

I'm lying down on the double mattress in my room, eyes closed and feet dangling slightly off the edge, entirely exhausted from working in the fields.

We'd just started turning the soil in the main room today and my uncle Jeb loves for everyone to work on a tight schedule. Three days to uproot the remains of the old crops, two days turning the soil and watering it down. Tomorrow will be spent sowing seeds from dawn till dusk, and then we'll have a two day rest before it'll be time to clean the mirrors again. At least this time, I won't be the one climbing up to dizzying heights on those old rickety ladders, nor will I be for anytime soon. Not in my condition at least.

I shuffle further up the mattress and prop my head up on my pillow so that I can get a better view of the slight swelling of my stomach.

14 weeks pregnant. Two more weeks and I'll be reassigned to work in the kitchens with Wanda, Heidi, Trudy and Lucinda. I can't really say I'm looking forward to it; I would've happily worked in the fields for a bit longer but I promised Jamie that I'd forgo all hard labour when I reached 4 months pregnant and I never break a promise to my kid brother, ever.

In all honesty, things could have been a lot worse. If Jared had had his way, I'd be lying in here 24/7 with nothing to do other than eat, sleep and count the number of cracks in the ceiling.

Throughout these past two months, ever since I told him about my pregnancy, Jared's been babying me constantly. More than once I've threatened to stab him with my fork at dinner because of his concern over my eating habits and I've already kicked him out of our room at least twice for just generally getting on my nerves.

I know I really shouldn't take out all of my frustration on Jared since he's only worried about me and the baby. But then again, he of all people should know how irritable I get when I'm cooped up indoors. Being unable to participate in raids or go outside period already makes me crankier than usual; add the pregnancy hormones to the equation and I'm damn right peevish. All I want is some fresh air!

I groan in frustration and kick the comforter of the mattress with a huff when a short, abrupt cough interrupts my outburst.

Jared leans on the jade screen by the archway, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with an expression that is both hesitant and amused. There's a glint of determination in his eyes; the same glint that was there during our argument yesterday, the one where he insisted on having someone watch over me when he wasn't around—as if I'm not mollycoddled enough already.

Jared sees that he has my attention and the corners of his lips tug upward into a smirk. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Can we talk?"

"That depends," I say, barely containing the venom in my voice, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Us," He replies simply as though it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I don't want to have another argument with him; primarily for fear that I'll end up killing him but we also need to talk about the issues at hand.

I bite my lip, hoping that he doesn't see through my guise, before I nod my consent, shuffling up the mattress so that he can sit down.

Jared's smirk stretches out into a fully-fledged grin; the same smile that is permanently etched into my memory.

"You know I love you," He starts as he plops down onto the end of the mattress, "And you also know how much I love that we're doing this, becoming parents. But I think it's important that we discuss your safety as well as the baby's." I narrow my eyes at him.

"You're absolutely right," I acknowledge while forcing the fakest smile I can possibly manage, "You know I spoke to Doc and Candy earlier. They said that it'd actually be beneficial for _both_ me and the baby if I maintain some form of exercise, so long as it's not excessive. If you don't believe me, you can go ask yourself. Not that you'd listen anyway." I snipe.

Jared doesn't seem surprised by my hostility, nor does he rise to it as I expect him to. Instead, he holds his hands up in front of him, a sign for truce.

"Whoa, whoa. I'm not here to argue," He says softly, "I just want to talk."

"Then how about this, I talk, you listen. Then you can tell me what's bothering you." Jared raises an eyebrow at me, but I don't give him the chance to speak.

"I don't like the way you're treating me," I say, straight to point, "You're constantly mollycoddling me and I know it's because you're concerned about me and the baby but it's suffocating me Jared! You know more than _anyone_ else how I hate being belittled, yet you continue to monitor my every movement as though something's about to go wrong at any given second!" I cry, "You're seriously stressing me out which is even worse for the baby than any form of physical labour I can do," I whimper, tears brimming in my eyes.

"Oh Mel," Jared sighs, reaching over so that he can wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into his chest. I bury my face in the crook of his neck and start crying, too overwhelmed with distress to do anything else.

"I never meant to make you feel this way," Jared murmurs into my hair, "It's just that I'm scared. I'm scared of becoming a father and of raising a child in a world where we could be taken at given moment, but most importantly I'm scared of losing you."

I pull away from him slightly, meeting his gaze. "What do you mean? I'm not going anywhere. You know that."

"Some pregnancies are messy," Jared replies sadly, "I should know. My mother died not long after I was born. It's just that if…if anything were to happen to you, I…I don't…" He trails off, his voice hoarse and raspy.

I don't what, but something about seeing Jared this frightened, this vulnerable, stirs something inside of me and I suddenly forget about our fight. I forget all about the whirlwind of emotions and cradle Jared's face in my hands as I gaze into his beautiful sienna eyes.

"Hey. I'll be ok," I whisper softly, stroking his cheek gently with my thumb, "You forget that I'm a Stryder. We're as tough as old boots. I'll be fine. You'll see."


	7. Getting To Know You

**Disclaimer: I'm not Stephanie Meyer, therefore I don't own the 'Host' or any of it's characters.**

* * *

_Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! _I mentally chastise myself as I rummage through cupboard after cupboard, stuffing my rucksack full with numerous cans of dried fruit, pasteurised meat and anything else that may prove to be of some use to me.

Adrenaline pulses through my veins—half from the potential dangers that come with raiding, half from the events of the past half hour—and my nerves are completely shot from my encounter with Melanie who is, hopefully, still outside waiting for my return.

She's the first person I've actually seen, let alone spoken to, in over two years. I never thought that there were other survivors until today. I always assumed I was alone on this God-forsaken planet and now I never have to be alone again, provided that she still trusts me and is waiting patiently by the fringes of the woods where I saw her last. In fact, the more I think of about it, the more I worry about the very real possibility of her doing a runner, or worse hotwiring my jeep so that she can drive as far away from me as she possibly can. And given everything that's happened since we first met, I wouldn't blame her. I've threatened her life, assaulted her and kissed her, not once but twice, all in the past half hour. Needless to say, I won't be surprised if I return to my jeep only to find she isn't there anymore.

I grab the rest of my things, do a once-over of the kitchen to make sure no evidence of our raid is left behind, and quickly dart back out into the darkness of the night.

Nervousness grips a hold of my entire body as I stealthily climb back over the fence, and run along the side of the house towards the street, silently praying that tonight's encounter hasn't been for nothing.

Relief floods through me when I see Melanie waiting anxiously by the side of the jeep, her arms crossed and her eyes restless as she scans our surroundings warily. She hears my approach and our gazes meet for the briefest of moments before she looks away again, her cheeks flushing red.

Her blush only reinforces my guilt at kissing her again in spite of having known her for what? A few of minutes? I mean the kiss itself was great but it was too much, it was too soon, and the fact that she found my scar and started screaming her head off like a flaming banshee didn't help either. I continue scolding myself for being such a dunce as I start packing the jeep with our stolen goods.

"Do you need any help with that?" Melanie asks from beside me, nodding her head towards the loaded bags that I hold in my hands.

"Nah, you're alright. I can manage," I say, swinging my rucksack over into the back seats. She nods and watches me for a while but then her stomach starts grumbling loudly again, causing her to look up at me in mortification.

I smirk, turning around and grabbing a packet of Cheetos from one of the bags before offering it to her.

"Here, take it. You still must be hungry, even after eating that chocolate," I tease, holding the packet out towards her.

Melanie looks at the packet in my hands with a torn expression, "I don't know…"

"Come on," I insist, "Take it. We've plenty to last us for a month at least."

She reluctantly takes the bag and tears it open. She pulls out a single chip and pops it into her mouth, a long groan of contentment resounding from her throat as her eyes flutter shut.

"Mm. I've really missed these," She mumbles, grabbing a couple more chips from the packet and eating them as I continue loading the rest of the supplies.

I grin, "Cheetos? Really?"

"Yeah," She answers, "These were my favourite snack as a kid and just eating them now after all this time…it's like heaven." She shoves another into her mouth and squeaks in delight.

I laugh, my spirits suddenly lifted by this light-hearted confession, "You really are something Melanie."

"Stryder."

"Huh?"

"My last name," She mutters, "It's Stryder. I didn't mention it before. When you asked," She explains, looking down at her feet again.

"Stryder?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with that Howe?" She asks, raising an eyebrow challengingly. Man this girl's got sass.

I shake my head, "Nothing. I just thought it suits you is all."

She nods, seemingly happy with my response, and I return back to loading the truck with stolen as she finishes off the bag of Cheetos.

_**...**_

"So where is your brother hiding?" I ask after a couple of minutes of silence, slamming the trunk door shut.

Melanie chews on her lip, still unsure whether to trust me or not. And honestly, I don't blame her. What if some other guy had found her instead of me? I shudder. Anything could have happened to her. I guess it's lucky that no one like that is out here anymore. At least that's something the aliens managed to get right.

"You know Apache National Forest?" She asks and I nod, "There's a small grotto about two or three miles uphill from the trail head."

"Wow. You really walked all that way to Eager?"

"Well I wasn't fortunate enough to have a jeep. Plus, I don't even know how to drive. At least not properly," She adds.

This completely stumps me. She must be what 20? 21? The invasion was only two years ago, surely she must have at learnt to drive at least.

"Exactly how old are you Melanie?"

"Seventeen," She answers, "I'd only just turned fifteen when we ran away from the aliens."

If I wasn't blown away before I certainly am now. "And you've been alone? With your kid brother all this time?" I ask in disbelief that someone so young could manage to survive for this long without any kind of help.

Then it sinks in. She's seventeen, still a minor by law, and I just kissed her. And not just a simple peck on the cheek either, it was a full-on passionate mouth to mouth kiss. My stomach churns uneasily.

"No," Melanie answers, effectively pulling me out of my reverie, "My dad was with us for the first few months."

"So he's not with you now?"

She shakes her head, "No. He's dead."

"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No. It's alright," Melanie says, surprising me yet again, "We've all lost people."

"But still. It's a pretty insensitive thing for me to say since we've only just met and all."

"Maybe, if everything was still as it was beforehand," She replies, "Besides we shouldn't dwell on things like civility anymore. Not when everything is a matter of life or death now."

I watch this girl, no woman, standing before me in amazement. By the sound of things she's been through a lot worse than I have and has had things a lot tougher at times too. The fact that she's only seventeen further adds to my awe.

"You're wiser beyond your years Melanie."

"Gee, what told you that?"

"Intuition," I answer, "So tell me, how did you and your dad figure out what was going on?"

"I first noticed something was wrong when the media started spouting out all those inspirational stories about our community being one big happy family. It just seemed too good to be true, all those murderers turned do-gooders overnight and people throwing away knives and guns in exchange for a bucket and mop. I didn't know what any of it meant at the time though," She says regretfully.

"At least you were perceptive enough to know something was wrong. If you were as oblivious as everyone else you wouldn't be here right now."

"That's just it," She sighs, "I probably would have ended up like everyone else if it wasn't for my Uncle Jeb."

Now she really does have my attention. "Why, what happened?"

"He came over to our house, to warn us, which was strange in itself."

"How come?"

"He and my mom have always had this bitterness between them. You see, my Uncle Jeb was a bit of sceptic. It takes a lot to gain his trust. But for as long as I can remember he's had this thing with conspiracies. I guess you could say he was a bit crazy like that," She laughs, "Anyway he generally avoided visiting us since my mom would kick up a fuss, but one day, whilst she was out-of-town, he came over looking as if he'd seen a ghost." Melanie pauses and her eyes go a little foggy as she thinks back to the past.

"He told my dad that he had something to tell him. That it was important, a matter of life and death. So my dad invited him in, and ushered me and Jamie upstairs so that they could talk. Jamie was too young to find anything even remotely suspicious but I had a bad feeling about whatever Jeb was about to say so I hid by the door and listened in." She continues.

"Jeb was ranting to my dad about how these aliens had infiltrated the planet. He said they concealed themselves among us through taking over other people bodies, like parasites, and that if we didn't act soon we'd be caught up in the mess when everything blew over. At some point my dad grew disinterested and asked when he was ever going to stop believing in all that conspiracy crap; it wasn't the first time that my Uncle Jeb had warned us about an impending invasion and if he hadn't had been right, I doubt it would have been the last. Uncle Jeb ignored him and mentioned something about my mom, how she'd act differently when she gets home from my grandma's. My dad took offense to this and told him to get out, to stop bothering us, and to never talk badly about my mom again."

"What did your Uncle Jeb do?"

"He left, but not before he talked to me. He told me to not let them get me, to stay safe. I haven't seen him since."

"So then what happened?"

"My mom came home the next day only she wasn't herself anymore, she was one of them. My dad realised that Jeb had been right. So he did the only thing he could think of, he got me and Jamie, told us to pack anything we couldn't live without, that we were going on a camping trip, and we went," Melanie explains.

"It wasn't until about two hours later, when Jamie fell asleep, that my dad told me what happened. I told him I already knew, that I eavesdropped, and we cried. We cried until our eyes ran dry and then we started making plans, where to go, and how, and when. It was all so easy when he was there. But then, he got caught and-" She breaks off and bites back a sob.

"Hey. It's ok! I'm sorry. Don't cry! I'm sorry."

Melanie shakes her head, tears brimming in her eyes although she doesn't let them fall. "It's just that it still hurts to think about it sometimes. At least now anyway. It's still too soon. Do you know what I mean?"

I nod. I know all too well what that's like. It never leaves you, not really. "Yeah, I do. But even then you're clearly intuitive enough to survive on your own."

"Just barely," She mumbles scornfully.

"But you're still here. You obviously knew what was happening otherwise you wouldn't have run in the first place."

"How do you know?" She asks.

I shrug. "It's just a feeling."

Melanie smiles at me sadly. "Thanks."

"So what about you?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened to you?" She elaborates. "Obviously you know how to survive. But so do others and yet you're the only person besides myself and Jamie that seem to have escaped. Something must have alerted you to the invasion. What happened?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got plenty of time." She counters.

"Maybe later." I suggest.

Melanie eyes me curiously but doesn't push further so she leans her head back against the headrest and stares out the window blankly, leaving me with haunting thoughts from the past.


End file.
